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Wondering what there is to do in Kyiv? I’ve got the perfect list right here of 12 fantastic things you can do. I was visiting Kyiv, Ukraine for the first time and had no idea what to expect.

There’s not a whole lot of information out there about Ukraine for tourists and this was pretty exciting for me because I love discovering new things by surprise (for the most part).

I was a little intimidated at first because I couldn’t read any of the signs. The Ukrainian alphabet is difficult to read. I’m able to familiarize myself with many European languages if I study ahead of time but I never grasped the Ukrainian language.

I got lost a little here and there but for the most part, I did pretty good finding my way around and found some fascinating things to do.

Here are my top 12 suggestions on things you can do in Kyiv on your solo trip:

1. Discover All the Cathedrals and Monasteries

Kyiv is known for all of its beautiful churches and monasteries. St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery was located right next to the hotel I was staying at, InterContinental Kyiv, and I had a glorious view of the monastery every morning.

Not far from St. Michael’s is St. Sophia's Cathedral, another gorgeous building. Some other notable cathedrals and churches to check out are St. Vladimir’s and St. Andrew’s.

View of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery from my hotel — View of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery from **my hotel**

2. Take the Deepest Underground Subway

Kyiv has the deepest subway station in the world located 105.5 meters below the surface. You take two escalators which seem endless.

I was a little terrified of doing this since I’m not a fan of long escalators but I had to do it since it was the deepest in the world. All subway stations in Kyiv are very deep because they were also used as bomb shelters.

Deepest underground subway — I was terrified going on the deepest underground subway

3. Get Lost at Park Landscape Alley (or Kyiv Fashion Park)

This was my favorite place in Kyiv with enchanting art, unique parks and outstanding views. You feel like you’re in Alice in Wonderland with all the colorful, bizarre art and sculptures.

And you literally come across Alice at the children’s park. It’s such a fun area to explore with tons of picture opportunities.

4. Enjoy a Photography Tour

Whenever I go on solo trips, I love doing photo tours because you learn a little bit of history and culture from a local AND get fantastic pictures at the same time.

I did a photography tour with Levgenii and he took us around to all the cool places in Kyiv that most tourists wouldn’t know about. He’s the one who showed me Park Landscape Alley.

If you have some time to spare, definitely book a tour with Levgenii. He’s awesome!

Kyiv photography tour — Loved the areas we explored in Kyiv with Levgenii

5. Discover Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery

Founded in the middle of the 11th century, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a huge site and many people visit to see the caves where the monks are mummified.

6. Try Some Good Eats at Khreschatyk Food Fest

If you’re hungry, this is a great place to stop by and try out some Ukrainian food and other eats like sandwiches, seafood, tacos and more.

I’m not sure if this place is seasonal since it’s all outdoors, but they seem to be open everyday from 10AM - 9PM and would be a great place to eat outside on a nice day.

7. Shop at TSUM (ЦУМ)

I just happened to come across this gigantic mall as I was making my way down Bohdana Khmel'nyts'koho Street. It’s a very high-scale and modern mall with tons of shops, a fancy food court and a lovely terrace serving drinks with a view.

8. Ride the Ferris Wheel at Kontraktova Square

This is another area I just happened to come across while exploring Kyiv. It’s a big open space with live music, a giant ferris wheel, bars, and restaurants. It was a lively area with a fun vibe.

9. Try Some Traditional Ukrainian Foods at Besarabsky Market

Besarabsky Market is one of the oldest buildings in Kyiv and you can find many authentic and traditional Ukrainian foods here.

Locals selling authentic Ukrainian foods at Besarabsy Market

10. Get Inspired by Murals

I’m usually not into graffiti but I loved the murals throughout Kyiv. There was something about a lot of them that was striking and told a story. I never imagined Kyiv would be so artistic but they are surrounded by creativity.

One of the many murals in Kiev — One of the many murals in Kyiv

My favorite mural in Kiev — My favorite mural in Kyiv

11. Visit Independence Square

Independence Square, also known as Maidan Square, is a large open area with many water fountains and the Independence Monument. Since the revolution in 1990, the square has seen many political rallies and its most recent revolution in 2014.

If you are not familiar with the revolution that happened in 2014, I highly recommend watching “Winter of Fire”. It shows how Ukrainians fought for their freedom at Maidan Square and you will have so much respect for these brave people of Ukraine.

Now, it is back to being a peaceful square where everyone can relax and enjoy. I have read that there are scammers in this area so just be careful of them.

Kyiv Independence Square with the Independence Monument

12. Try Ukrainian Coffee at Aroma Kava

For all you Starbucks fans out there, sorry but there is no Starbucks in Kyiv. But the good news is that Ukraine has their own coffee franchise called Aroma Kava that is located just about everywhere in the city so why not give Ukrainian coffee a try?

Kyiv's coffee franchise, Aroma Kava — Kyiv’s coffee franchise, Aroma Kava

TIPS

• When exchanging money, go to the currency exchange booth to the far left after you exit baggage claim. They give way better rates than the first booths you see. Always look at all the booth’s exchange rates and ask how much you’ll get before you give them your money.

• Don’t exchange too much money because you can’t change it back.

• Make sure to catch a taxi outside the terminal and do not accept a ride from the hagglers because most likely they will rip you off. The taxi ride should cost anywhere between 450 - 600 UAH. Always agree on a price with your driver before getting in the vehicle.

• Use Uber in the city. It’s SUPER cheap. A 15-20 minute ride cost me $2.50.

• Use your contactless credit card when taking the subway. It only costs 30 cents!

• Traffic in Kyiv is crazy so account for some extra time when heading back to the airport.

• When following directions on Google Maps, you may wonder how to cross the streets in some locations. You have to go through an underpass to cross the street.

• If you’re looking for the perfect hotel in Kyiv, InterContinental Kyiv is wonderful.

• If you’ve come to Kyiv to visit Chernobyl, check out my experience HERE.

Hope you’ll enjoy Kyiv as much as I did! It’s such a fun city to discover and I loved that the city is not overtaken by tourists…yet.